Device for ordering rollable articles, delivered in a disordered delivery flow

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to devices for ordering rollable articles, such as eggs, delivered from a disordered delivery flow by means of angled lifting plates which lift one article at a time out of the delivery stream to a point at which they can roll over the top of a guide wall onto a subsequent conveyor. The lifting plates are specially shaped so as to lift only one article at a time and a common drive is provided for the lifting plates and a subsequent conveyor. Control means is provided for preventing operation of the drive until all lifting plates have articles thereon.

O United States Patent 13,623,591

[72] Inventors Heinrich liloch 5 Refgrgnm Cited Bad Salzu en; Kurt I-Iermsmeier, bernbeck;Karl-He1nz UNITED STATES PATENTS Northo, Heriordallot Germany 2,462,021 2/1949 Harker 198/21 X [21] Appll 831,906 1 2,678,151 5/1954 Geisler 198/21 X [22] Filed June 10,1969 2,765,896 /1956 Peterson 198/24 Patented Nov. 30,1971 3,068,992 12/1962 Schoen et a1. 198/21 X 131 Assignees Henry Y. Kuhl; 3,168,190 2/1965 Nienstedt 198/218 Paul R. Kuhl Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter F lemlngton, NJ. Assistant Examiner-Douglas D. Watts [32} Priority June 11, 1968 Attorney-McClew and Tuttle [33] Germany [31] P17 56576.3

ABSTRACT: This invention relates to devices for ordering rollable articles, such as eggs, delivered from a disordered [54] DEVICE FOR ORDERING ROLLABLE ARTICLES, delivery flow by means of angled lifting plates which lift one DELIVERED IN A DISORDERED DELIVERY FLOW article at a time out of the delivery stream to a point at which 13 Claims,4 Drawing Figs. they can roll over the top of a guide wall onto a subsequent [52] US. Cl 198/24 conveyo" The lifting plates are specially shaped so as to 1986; only one article at a time and a common drive is provided for [51] Int. Cl 865g 47/00 the lifting plates and a subsequent conveyor Conn-9| f'? 50 Field of Search 198/24,21. Pmvided Pmeming hive plates have articles thereon.

PATENTEDNOV 30 IQTI SHEET 1 OF 2 PATENTEDNUV 30 |97| SHEET 2 BF 2 DEVICE FOR ORDERING ROLLABLE ARTICLES, DELIVERED IN A DISORDERED DELIVERY FLOW BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The ordering of rollable articles, for example eggs, supplied in a disordered delivery flow, with which a subsequent conveying means receiving the articles in rows in several conveying tracks is charged, was formerly effected exclusively by laying the articles by hand upon the conveying means. Moreover, it has recently become known, especially for the handling of eggs, to carry out this work with several compartmented wheels arranged coaxially side by side, which carry jawshaped openings at their periphery. The eggs are received by these jaw-shaped openings and supplied in a semicircular lifting movement to the subsequent transport means. Here, however, especially if the egg diameters vary greatly, duplications are possible since the jaw openings adapted to the largest eggs can under some circumstances also offer space to several small eggs.

The above-mentioned devices of known design are suitable only for articles of uniform size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to make available a device with which ordering can be achieved reliably even when the dimensions of the articles fluctuate within certain limits.

According to the invention, there is provided a device for the ordering of rollable articles supplied in a disordered delivery flow for charging in one or more rows on a subsequent conveying means, comprising one or more angled lifting plates inclined downwardly in the conveying direction and positioned prior to said conveying means, a guide wall on which said angled lifting plate or plates move upwards and downwards and partitions on both sides of each said angled lifting plate, the upward movement of each said angled lifting plate lifting one of said rollable articles out of said delivery flow to the top of said guide at which point the rollable article can roll over the upper edge of said guide wall and on to said subsequent conveying means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the diagrammatic lateral elevation of an ordered appliance for eggs;

FIG. 2 shows a detail deriving from FIG. 1 with the lifting plates which effect theordering in a different position;

FIG. 3 shows the plan view of the installation as represented in FIG. I, and

FIG. 4 shows a partial section along the line A-B in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Basically the device provides that prior to the conveying tracks of the subsequent conveying means there are provided angled lifting plates inclined downwardly toward the conveying direction. The plates move upwards and downwards on a vertical or oblique guide wall and are situated in each case between partitions on both sides. The plates in each one of their upward movement lift one of the disorderedly delivered articles out of the conveying flow. At the highest position of the lifting plates, the article rolls from the plate and over the upper edge of the guide wall on to the conveying means. The lifting plates may be provided with a troughing fonned transversely of the conveying direction and the movement actions of the lifting plates can be effected by means ofa crank drive. Furthermore with each lifting plate there is associated a control balance which consists of a pressure plate placed directly in front of the lifting plate and a contact switch actuated by this pressure plate, so that when all pressure plates are loaded the contact switches close a circuit for the actuation of the upward movements of the lifting plates, controlled in particular by means of a magnetic clutch. This arrangement serves for the purpose of permitting the lifting plates to come into action always only when they are all charged with an article and thus it is ensured that no gaps of any kind occur on the subsequent transport means. However, it is also possible to utilize the pulse operation of the control balances, e.g., through the contact switches, at the same time for counting the articles orderly arrayed and delivered by the lifting plates. Finally both the lifting plates and the transport means subsequent to them have a common drive, and before the partitions flanking the lifting plates guide shoes are placed which in combination form entry passages for the dividing conveying flow of the articles to be conveyed.

As may be seen from FIGS. 1 to 3, the eggs 2 supplied in a disordered delivery flow on the flat conveyor belt 1 are to be fed to the roller conveyor 3, assembled from several conveying tracks a-e, individually in such a way that subsequently they are deposited in rows in the receiving troughs 4 of the conveyor. The delivery of the eggs 2 necessary for this purpose is effected with the aid of the lifting plates 5 provided in each case in front of the delivery tracks a-e, which plates are arranged between partitions 6 on both sides downwardly, inclined in the conveying direction 7 and move upwards and downwards on a vertical guide wall 8. This upward and downward movement is effected by a crank drive 9 which causes the lifting plates 5 to move alternately into the end positions illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Before each partition 6 flanking the lifting plates 5 there are placed guide shoes 10 which in combination form entry passages 11 for the eggs 2. Within these entry passages 11 there are again situated pressure plates 12 placed directly in front of the lifting plates 5 and linked to control balances 14 and pivotably mounted about the pivot point 13. It is the task of these control balances 14, on the passage of an egg 2 loading their respective pressure plates 12, to actuate a contact switch 15 which is installed in a circuit which controls the movement actions of the lifting plates 5. Thus when all pressure plates 12 are loaded, the contact switches 15 are all in the switched-on position, then a magnetic clutch l6 visible in FIG. 4 comes into engagement and initiates the upward movement of the lifting plates 5. The plates 5 then lift the eggs 2 until in the highest position of the lifting plates 5 as visible in FIG. 2. At this time, the eggs roll away over the upper edge of the guide wall 8 and thus can pass into the receiving troughs 4 of the roller conveyor 3 rotating in the conveying direction 7. Then the lifting plates 5 move downwards again in order once again to receive a row of eggs 2.

For the constant cooperation of the movement actions of the roller conveyor 3 with the crank drive 9 of the lifting plates 5 it is important that both should have a common drive 17, as may be seen especially in FIG. 4. By reason of this measure the movement actions of the roller conveyor 3 are also dependent upon the control balances 14 and it progresses by one free row of receiving troughs 4 only when all pressure plates 12 are loaded and the lifting plates 5 are in action. Gaps due to empty receiving troughs 4 thus cannot occur on the roller conveyor 3.

It can be seen best from FIG. 1 how satisfactorily the eggs 2 arriving in disorder on the conveyor belt 1 are ordered, since it can be seen clearly that only one egg 2 can be seated on each lifting plate 5. The subsequent eggs 2, by contrast, upon upward movement of the lifting plates 5 roll off from the latter and can be picked up only in the next stroke. Duplications are therefore completely precluded so that a completely satisfactory manner of operation of the object of the invention is obtained.

The most favorable property of the novel device is to be seen in this absence of all duplications which now as a result of the upward and downward movements of the lifting plates according to the invention are entirely precluded. As has been proven by numerous long-tenn tests, the plate always lift only one of the articles to be delivered out of the conveying flow even for relatively great variations of article diameter. Even very heavy pileups occurring in the region of the lifting plates, with the rollable articles heaped one upon the other, were not able to impair the single-article delivery function of the lifting plates. Furthermore the very gentle handling of the articles to be conveyed is remarkable, which is of prime importance in the case of machines for egg sorting.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A device for the ordering of rollable articles supplied in a disordered flow for charging into a plurality of rows extending in the conveying direction on a subsequent conveying device, said device comprising conveying means for supplying said disordered flow; division means for splitting said disordered flow into a plurality of streams; flow channels along which said streams flow, one said flow channel for each said row of said subsequent conveying device; a lifting plate inclined downwardly in the conveying direction and positioned one at the end of each flow channel, and movable between a lower position in which it forms a continuation of a floor of said flow channel and an upper position from which said rollable articles can roll onto said subsequent conveying device; stationary near and sidewalls forming a lift channel for each said lifting plate; a wall depending downwardly from an edge of each said lifting plate adjacent said conveying means for preventing access to said lift channel while said lifting plate is moving; a weight-responsive plate in each said flow channel between said lifting plate and said conveying means; switch means associated with and operable on depression of each weightresponsive plate by said rollable articles; and drive means actuated on operation of all said switch means to raise all said lifting plates.

2. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the lifting plate includes a forward and a rearward edge, the forward edge being positioned adjacent the near wall, and the downwardly depending wall extending from the rearward edge.

3. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein a control balance is provided for each flow channel, each control balance including one of the weight-responsive plates and means pivotally mounting the control balance for actuation of the associated switch means.

4. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein means is provided to actuate the drive means only upon simultaneous actuation of all the switch means.

5. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the division means includes an entry passage for each stream, each entry passage including a pair ofguide shoes.

6. A device constructed in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of the guide shoes is in alignment with and positioned forwardly of one of the sidewalls forming a lift channel.

7. A device for the alignment of rollable articles supplied in disordered flow in haphazard randomly scattered positions on a first conveying means having a floor moving along a conveying path and for delivery of the rollable articles in an ordered pattern to a second conveying means having a floor moving along a conveying path, said device comprising division means adapted to align the disordered flow into a plurality of parallel streams, each stream extending along a portion of the conveying path of the first conveying means, and delivery means adapted to transfer a course of rollable articles from the first conveying means to the second conveying means, the course extending transversely of the conveying path of the first conveying means and including one rollable article from each stream, said delivery means including a plate positioned in alignment with and adjacent the terminal end of each stream, means simultaneously moving each plate along a substantially vertical axis from a first portion, wherein the plate forms an extension of a portion of the floor of the first conveying means, to a second position, wherein the plate is at an elevation different from that of the first position, the floor of the second conveying means being at an elevation different from that of the plates in their first position and suitable for receiving rollable articles from the lates when in their second position, each of the plates inclu ing an upper surface for receiving rollable articles and forward, rearward and side edges, the upper surface being inclined downwardly toward the forward edge, and means for preventing the rollable articles from rolling from their respective plates except for discharge onto the second conveying means, said prevention means including a lift channel having a pair of spaced sidewalls and a transverse wall, means maintaining the side and transverse walls at a stationary elevation with respect to the first and second conveying means, the transverse wall being positioned adjacent the forward edge and preventing the rollable articles from rolling forwardly from each plate until the plate is in the second position, the sidewalls restraining the rollable articles between the side edges of each plate, and the downwardly inclined surface of each plate preventing the rollable articles from rolling from the rearward edge of each plate and facilitating the discharge of rollable articles to the second conveying means when each plate is in its second position.

8. A device constructed in accordance with claim 7 wherein the second position of each plate is at a higher elevation than the first position.

9. A device constructed in accordance with claim 8 wherein means is provided to block the flow of rollable articles when the plates are in positions other than their first position, said means including a wall depending from the rearward edge of each plate.

10. A device constructed in accordance with claim 7 wherein the division means includes an entry passage for each stream, each entry passage including a pair of guide shoes.

11. A device constructed in accordance with claim 10 wherein each guide shoe is in alignment with and positioned forwardly on one of the sidewalls.

12. A device constructed in accordance with claim 7 wherein a weight-responsive plate is positioned between each plate and its associated stream, switch means operable on depression of each weight-responsive plate by a rollable article and drive means actuated only upon actuation of all said switch means to simultaneously move the plates from their first position to their second position.

13. A device constructed in accordance with claim 7, wherein means is provided for the simultaneous operation of both the plates and the second conveying means.

* i l i 

1. A device for the ordering of rollable articles supplied in a disordered flow for charging into a plurality of rows extending in the conveying direction on a subsequent conveying device, said device comprising conveying means for supplying said disordered flow; division means for splitting said disordered flow into a plurality of streams; flow channels along which said streams flow, one said flow channel for each said row of said subsequent conveying device; a lifting plate inclined downwardly in the conveying direction and positioned one at the end of each flow channel, and movable between a lower position in which it forms a continuation of a floor of said flow channel and an upper position from which said rollable articles can roll onto said subsequent conveying device; stationary near and sidewalls forming a lift channel for each said lifting plate; a wall depending downwardly from an edge of each said lifting plate adjacent said conveying means for preventing access to said lift channel while said lifting plate is moving; a weight-responsive plate in each said flow channel between said lifting plate and said conveying means; switch means associated with and operable on depression of each weight-responsive plate by said rollable articles; and drive means actuated on operation of all said switch means to raise all said lifting plates.
 2. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the lifting plate includes a forward and a rearward edge, the forward edge being positioned adjacent the near wall, and the downwardly depending wall extending from the rearward edge.
 3. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein a control balance is provided for each flow channel, each control balance including one of the weight-responsive plates and means pivotally mounting the control balance for actuation of the associated switch means.
 4. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein means is provided to actuate the drive means only upon simultaneous actuation of all the switch means.
 5. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the division means includes an entry passage for each stream, eaCh entry passage including a pair of guide shoes.
 6. A device constructed in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of the guide shoes is in alignment with and positioned forwardly of one of the sidewalls forming a lift channel.
 7. A device for the alignment of rollable articles supplied in disordered flow in haphazard randomly scattered positions on a first conveying means having a floor moving along a conveying path and for delivery of the rollable articles in an ordered pattern to a second conveying means having a floor moving along a conveying path, said device comprising division means adapted to align the disordered flow into a plurality of parallel streams, each stream extending along a portion of the conveying path of the first conveying means, and delivery means adapted to transfer a course of rollable articles from the first conveying means to the second conveying means, the course extending transversely of the conveying path of the first conveying means and including one rollable article from each stream, said delivery means including a plate positioned in alignment with and adjacent the terminal end of each stream, means simultaneously moving each plate along a substantially vertical axis from a first portion, wherein the plate forms an extension of a portion of the floor of the first conveying means, to a second position, wherein the plate is at an elevation different from that of the first position, the floor of the second conveying means being at an elevation different from that of the plates in their first position and suitable for receiving rollable articles from the plates when in their second position, each of the plates including an upper surface for receiving rollable articles and forward, rearward and side edges, the upper surface being inclined downwardly toward the forward edge, and means for preventing the rollable articles from rolling from their respective plates except for discharge onto the second conveying means, said prevention means including a lift channel having a pair of spaced sidewalls and a transverse wall, means maintaining the side and transverse walls at a stationary elevation with respect to the first and second conveying means, the transverse wall being positioned adjacent the forward edge and preventing the rollable articles from rolling forwardly from each plate until the plate is in the second position, the sidewalls restraining the rollable articles between the side edges of each plate, and the downwardly inclined surface of each plate preventing the rollable articles from rolling from the rearward edge of each plate and facilitating the discharge of rollable articles to the second conveying means when each plate is in its second position.
 8. A device constructed in accordance with claim 7 wherein the second position of each plate is at a higher elevation than the first position.
 9. A device constructed in accordance with claim 8 wherein means is provided to block the flow of rollable articles when the plates are in positions other than their first position, said means including a wall depending from the rearward edge of each plate.
 10. A device constructed in accordance with claim 7 wherein the division means includes an entry passage for each stream, each entry passage including a pair of guide shoes.
 11. A device constructed in accordance with claim 10 wherein each guide shoe is in alignment with and positioned forwardly on one of the sidewalls.
 12. A device constructed in accordance with claim 7 wherein a weight-responsive plate is positioned between each plate and its associated stream, switch means operable on depression of each weight-responsive plate by a rollable article and drive means actuated only upon actuation of all said switch means to simultaneously move the plates from their first position to their second position.
 13. A device constructed in accordance with claim 7, wherein means is provided for the simultaneous operation of both the plates and the second conveying means. 